Albuquerque hotels are defending their policy of restricting local residents from booking rooms, citing concerns about safety and property damage. Calvin, an Albuquerque resident, was unable to book a room at the Holiday Inn Express at 12th Street and Indian School, as the hotel’s website explicitly stated it would not rent rooms to Albuquerque residents.

Hotel Representatives Defend Policy

Following an investigation by Target 7, several current and former hotel managers and owners defended the policy. Dhawal Kholwadwala, owner of multiple hotels in Albuquerque and president of the Greater Albuquerque Hotel and Lodging Association, explained that such policies have become more common in recent years. Kholwadwala stated that some hotels have implemented higher refundable deposits for locals or barred them entirely to protect staff, guests, and property.

Kholwadwala shared that he has personally experienced significant financial losses due to damage caused by local guests. He noted that incidents like these are not isolated and that KOAT previously reported on a meth lab discovered at a Motel 6 in Albuquerque over a decade ago, which has since closed.

The Greater Albuquerque Hotel and Lodging Association emphasized that the policies are not intended to be unfair but are aimed at ensuring safety. Kholwadwala said, ‘I think that it’s unfortunate that sometimes we have to be strict with certain policies that might, you know, create inconveniences for good people. But I think they would understand that once they see, once that they get to kind of go behind the scenes.’

Original reporting: KOAT Albuquerque — read the source article.